Charter by Amanda Kernell nominated for Nordic Council Film Prize, longlisted for European Film Award

Ane Dahl Torp, Amanda Kernell and Sverrir Gudnason at the world premiere of Charter at Sundance Film Festival, January 2020. Photo by Jan Göransson

Today the Nordic Council announced that Charter by Amanda Kernell is nominated for the Nordic Council Film Prize, the second time a film by Kernell is nominated for the prestigious award. Charter is also on the list of 32 films when EFA today announced the first part of their Feature Film Selection.

The winner of the Nordic Council Film Prize will be announced on 27 October, during the session of the Nordic Council in Reykjavik.

The nominations for the European Film Awards will be announced at the Sevilla European Film Festival in Spain on 7 November. The 33rd EFA gala, where the winners will be presented, will take place on 12 December in Reykjavik.

Synopsis
After a recent and difficult divorce, Stockholm-based Alice (Ane Dahl Torp) hasn’t seen her children in two months, as her ex-husband who lives in Northern Sweden with them, has barred her from seeing them. While waiting for the final custody verdict, Alice gets a phone call in the middle of the night, from her distressed son Vincent. She rushes to Northern Sweden to see him and his sister Elina. When her hopes of reconciliation with her children are dashed upon arrival, she abducts them and embarks on an illicit trip to Tenerife to try to reconnect with them.

Screenwriter/Director Amanda Kernell
Umeå-born Amanda Kernell is a former graduate of the National Film School of Denmark. Her films are often deeply rooted in the Sami culture and natural environment. She directed several award-winning short films, including Northern Great Mountain, which world premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Her breakthrough feature debut Sami Blood (2016) won numerous awards including the Fedeora Award for Best Debut Feature at Venice Days, as well as Göteborg’s Dragon Award - Best Nordic Film and Best Cinematography (Sophia Olsson). The film was nominated for the 2017 Nordic Council Film Prize. While making Sami Blood, Kernell directed the mid-length film I Will Always Love You. Charter, her second feature film, world premiered in competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

Producer Lars G Lindström
Lars G Lindström has been working at Nordisk Film Production Sverige AB since 2013. After four years as Film Commissioner for the Swedish Film Institute (2009-2012), he started working as full-time producer. For Nordisk Film, Lindström has produced Daniel Espinosa's The Babylon Disease (2004), Åke Sandgren’s To Love Someone (2007) and Pernille Fischer Christensen’s Becoming Astrid (2018). Charter is Lindström’s second feature film with director Amanda Kernell after her internationally acclaimed Sami Blood (2016).

Producer Eva Åkergren
Eva Åkergren has been working as in-house producer at Nordisk Film Production Sverige AB since 2018. Åkergren freelanced for many years as production manager on major Swedish films and TV dramas, including Wallander (2009), Maria Wern (2010), Gentlemen & Gangsters (2016). She was line producer on the award-winning films Sami Blood (2016), Beyond Dreams (2017) and Border (2018). Amanda Kernell’s Charter is Åkergren's first film as a producer. She is currently co-producing Border director Ali Abbasi’s upcoming film The Long Night.

Cast and crew
Original title: Charter
Director and screenwriter: Amanda Kernell
Principal cast: Ane Dahl Torp, Sverrir Gudnasson, Tintin Poggats Sarri, Troy Lundkvist
Producers: Lars G. Lindström, Eva Åkergren
Production company: Nordisk Film Production Sverige AB
Domestic distribution: Nordisk Film
International sales: TrustNordisk